The present invention relates to a new and distinct early maturing, seedless, and convenient-to-consume mandarin hybrid called ‘Bingo’. This cultivar arose from a seedling tree selected among a family of hybrids from a cross of the seed parent LB7-11 (an unnamed, unreleased breeding line, itself a hybrid of ‘Clementine’ mandarin crossed with ‘Valencia’ sweet orange) and pollen parent ‘Seedless Kishu’ (known as ‘Mukakukishu’ in Japan), an unpatented, small-fruited mandarin cultivar. The cross was made in Lake Alfred, Fla. in spring 2005, and the original seedling tree was planted in the field in Lake Alfred, Fla. spring 2007. The cultivar was first selected in autumn 2013, when its distinctive appearance and unique qualities were first noted, including the significantly greater-than-average health of the tree itself, which has demonstrated substantial field tolerance to Huanglongbing disease (HLB or citrus greening). ‘Bingo’ was first asexually propagated in October 2014 by topworking onto a citrus rootstock in Vero Beach, Fla. The claimed tree reproduces true to type and is stable in successive generations.
The original parent tree ‘LB7-11’ no longer exists. However, it differed from claimed variety ‘Bingo’ in several aspects. ‘LB7-11’ matured in mid-November to early December, while ‘Bingo’ matures from late September to early November. ‘LB7-11’ also had a thicker rind and was more difficult to peel than ‘Bingo’. ‘LB7-11’ regularly had 10-20 monoembryonic seeds per fruit under cross pollination, while ‘Bingo’ is completely seedless, even under intensive cross-pollination conditions.
‘Seedless Kishu’ matures at a similar time as ‘Bingo’ in Florida, although generally tends to be slightly later. The fruit of ‘Bingo’ are larger, more intensely pigmented externally and internally, and they hold on the tree longer and have a substantially longer post-harvest period than ‘Seedless Kishu’. ‘Bingo’ flowers are also larger than those of ‘Seedless Kishu’.
‘Fanglo’ and ‘US Early Pride’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,724, a mutant selected from irradiated ‘Fanglo’) may be harvested in Florida at the same season. ‘Fanglo’ has numerous seeds, and ‘US Early Pride’ is lower in seed number, while ‘Bingo’ is always seedless. ‘Bingo’ produces a smaller fruit, which peels much easier and cleaner than ‘Fanglo’ and ‘US Early Pride’.
‘Clementine’ mandarins are harvested in California at nearly the same season, and marketed throughout the US. ‘Bingo’ differs by its much deeper orange-red color internally and externally. ‘Bingo’ is easier to peel, and has much higher Brix, and in general better eating quality. Further, if cross pollinated, ‘Clementine’ fruit also will produce seeds.
Fruit of ‘Bingo’ were harvested Sep. 30, 2015 and some were exposed to ethylene (4.5-5.0 ppm) for 48 hours, 29° C., 95% relative humidity and then stored at 4° C. for up to 8 weeks. ‘Fanglo’, the common Florida mandarin cultivar harvested in the same season, was exposed to the same conditions, with the exception that the ethylene exposure time was 24 hours. After 6 weeks of storage, fruit of both cultivars, treated and untreated, were 100% healthy. After 8 weeks in storage, 92.3% of treated ‘Bingo’ fruit and 92.85% and untreated ‘Bingo’ fruit remained healthy. By contrast, 67% of treated fruit of ‘Fanglo’ and 83% untreated fruit of ‘Fanglo’ remained healthy.